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Jim Caldwell

NFC Notes: Chip, Payton, Caldwell, RGIII

October 16th, 2015 at 5:46pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Before joining the Eagles in 2013, Chip Kelly was one of college football’s premier head coaches. Kelly led Oregon to a 46-7 record and three top five finishes from 2009-12, but his reign in Philadelphia hasn’t gone as well – particularly since he took control of the roster last offseason. Thus, some are wondering whether he’ll return to the college ranks – specifically to USC, a high-profile program on the hunt for a new head coach. If you’re to believe Kelly, it’s not going to happen, and neither he nor his Eagles players are fazed by the speculation, writes Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

“We know that he’s fully invested in this program,” said tight end Zach Ertz. “He’s changed so much of the culture here; we know he wants to ride this thing out, and at the end of the day, hopefully, win a Super Bowl.”

Added Kelly, who denied having any contact with USC: “I know you have an obligation, and I understand that it’s going to happen (when) we’re not successful and we’re not winning – I came from college, (therefore) I’m going to go back to college. I hope someday to be like (Giants coach Tom) Coughlin and win enough games where I can stay around . . . without speculation.”
Here’s more from around the NFC:
  • Not surprisingly, the Saints’ unimpressive roster, less-than-ideal cap situation, and the appeal of some potentially vacant head coaching positions after this season could lead to Sean Payton‘s departure from New Orleans, per Albert Breer of NFL.com.
  • Although he helped lead the Lions to an 11-5 finish and a playoff berth last year, this season’s 0-5 start combined with the ownership structure in Detroit could spell bad news for head coach Jim Caldwell, according to Breer. William Clay Ford and William Clay Ford, Jr. were responsible for hiring Caldwell in 2014. The elder of the two has since passed away, and the younger has relinquished much of the control over the team to his mother, Martha. The fate of Caldwell and general manager Martin Mayhew lies in her hands, and she could elect to make a change.
  • Washington has no shortage of injuries as it prepares for its game against the Jets this weekend. That means third-string quarterback and 2012 Offensive Rookie of the Year Robert Griffin III might dress for the first time this season, ESPN’s John Keim reports (via Twitter). Of course, with both Kirk Cousins and Colt McCoy ahead of Griffin on the depth chart, it’s highly unlikely he’ll see action.
  • Saints offensive tackle Andrus Peat suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in the team’s 31-21 win over Atlanta on Thursday, according to Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (Twitter link). Per Getlin, Peat won’t need surgery, but he’ll miss approximately four weeks. The rookie first-rounder has appeared in all six of the Saints’ games this year, starting three.

Extra Points: Lions, Mexico, Titans, Ravens

October 11th, 2015 at 9:13pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

A look around the NFL as the fifth Sunday of the season draws to a close:

  • The Lions dropped to 0-5 with their 42-17 loss to Arizona, but head coach Jim Caldwell said afterward that there won’t be any changes to his staff (Twitter link via Josh Katzenstein of the Detroit News).
  • A regular-season game in Mexico in 2016 is a strong possibility, CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora reports. “It’s going to happen next year,” one high-ranking club official said. “We just don’t know which teams it’s going to be yet.” The Raiders are candidates to play there, per La Canfora, who writes that those in league circles believe a series of games in Mexico would be highly successful from a financial standpoint.
  • Titans receiver Kendall Wright caught three passes for 29 yards in the team’s 14-13 loss to Buffalo. After the game, the fourth-year man was indignant about his role in the Titans’ offense. “I’m beyond frustrated,” Wright stated, per John Glennon of the Tennessean. “I don’t feel like I’m being able to do what I can do until late in games. I feel like I’m a good receiver and I feel like I’ve been open and I can beat the DBs or whoever is (covering) me, but I haven’t really been given the opportunity I’ve been looking for.”
  • The Ravens fell to 1-4 after losing to Cleveland and Clifton Brown of CSNMidAtlantic provided reasons as to why it’ll be too much for them to overcome. Among them: the difficulty of the AFC North and the Ravens’ lack of home-field advantage.
  • Three injured Cardinals – linebackers Alex Okafor and Kenny Demens and defensive back Chris Clemons – will get MRIs during the upcoming week. Head coach Bruce Arians isn’t optimistic about their statuses. “I do not feel good,” he said, according to Darren Urban of the team’s website (via Twitter).

Latest On DeAndre Levy

September 18th, 2015 at 6:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

A rumor that made its way into Jim Caldwell‘s Friday press conference has no bearing on why DeAndre Levy will miss his second straight game Sunday, according to the linebacker’s agent.

Caldwell declined to address a report that Levy, who’s been out for over three weeks due to a muscle strain in his hip, contracted a parasite while vacationing in Chile this summer, per Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. DetroitSportsRag.com originally reported the parasite rumor that Levy’s agent, Joe Panos, told NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter) the report was “100 percent false.”

The Lions don’t expect Levy to be out much longer, using their IR-DTR slot on rookie cornerback Alex Carter instead of their newly extended outside backer.

Caldwell, however, also offered no clarity as to when Levy will return. Josh Bynes will again start in his place. The Lions’ schedule strength increases in the next two weeks, with the Broncos and Seahawks on the docket.

Meinke notes the Lions would face stiff sanctions for doctoring an injury report, meaning the second-highest-paid 4-3 outside linebacker is almost certainly dealing with a hip malady.

Levy, who hadn’t missed a game since 2012, signed a four-year deal worth $33.74MM last month.

NFC Notes: Lions, Giants, Panthers

May 9th, 2015 at 8:54am CST by Ben Levine

Lions safety James Ihedigbo is seeking a new contract, and the 31-year-old will not be attending his team’s voluntary workouts as he presumably negotiates a new deal.

While Ihedigbo isn’t breaking any rules by not attending, that doesn’t mean he isn’t drawing the ire of his coach. On Friday, Jim Caldwell talked to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press about his desire to have a full team at workouts.

“What I try to do is to make certain that they understand that, in our business, it’s unique. They have things that they have to look at from their vantage point, what they think is best. My business is to make certain we’ve got the best team we possibly can. So my interest is getting him here, and getting him here pronto, right?

“I’d like to have every guy here. But the fact of the matter is it doesn’t always happen that way. Guys got to look at things. He’s been around long enough and make his own determination and make his own decisions in that regard. But he’s not mandated to be here at this point in time, so we’ll see when he is mandated, what happens.”

Let’s take a look at some more notes out of the NFC…

  • Birkett wonders if undrafted rookie quarterback Anthony Boone could make the Lions roster. While the Duke product would have to leapfrog veterans Dan Orlovsky and Kellen Moore for the backup gig, one of his former coaches is confident he’ll make the leap. “Anthony’s real smart,” David Cutcliffe said. “He’s going to pick the system up quickly. And I told Anthony: Odds are, you’re probably a backup quarterback, which means you’ve got to be able to know the system and perform well without a lot of snaps, period. That’s the National Football League. And I think he’s capable of being that. I really, really do.”
  • After missing most of last season with an injured knee, Giants defensive back Bennett Jackson is looking forward to competing for a roster spot. It appears that his coaching staff appreciates the player’s versatility, as Newsday’s Tom Rock writes that the cornerback has been asked to play safety in 2015. “I didn’t ask any questions,” Jackson said. “I was all for it.”
  • Panthers second round pick Devin Funchess tweaked a hamstring and was carted off the field yesterday, reports ESPN.com’s David Newton (via Twitter). The severity of the injury is not yet known.

NFC Mailbags: Lions, Saints, Cowboys

October 11th, 2014 at 9:51am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday morning, and you know what that means – new mailbags from ESPN’s NFL writers. Let’s check out some of the notes from the NFC…

  • At the moment, Michael Rothstein doesn’t believe that Lions general manager Martin Mayhew or coach Jim Caldwell are on the hot seat.
  • Following the release of Saints fourth-rounder Khairi Fortt this past week, many fans asked Mike Triplett about the team’s inability to develop linebackers. The writer acknowledges that the team’s last real success was Mark Fields in 1995, but he adds that the team hasn’t invested high draft picks into the position.
  • If the Cowboys season continues on a similar path, Todd Archer could envision the team bringing back Dez Bryant, DeMarco Murray and Rolando McClain. If there were to be one odd man out, however, the writer leans towards McClain.
  • Even if the Cowboys were looking to promote a defensive lineman from the practice squad, Archer says that rookie Michael Sam wouldn’t be the team’s first choice. Instead, the Cowboys would likely bring up Kenneth Boatright.
  • David Newton envisions the Panthers transitioning to their next group of running backs once DeAngelo Williams‘ contract expires following the season.
  • Rom Demovsky says it’s likely that the Packers and representatives for Randall Cobb have already started discussing a new contract. The writer suggests that the wideout could be delaying the process until he begins compiling statistics that would warrant a larger payday.

Friday Night Game Notes: NFC North

August 23rd, 2014 at 12:29pm CST by Matt Feminis

This morning, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport said the Packers were pessimistic about an arm injury suffered by nose tackle B.J. Raji last night. In his latest tweet, Rapoport reports (via Twitter) the belief is Raji tore his biceps, and tests will determine whether it’s fully or partially torn.

12:29: Raji’s biceps tear is confirmed, per JSOnline’s Tom Silverstein (via Twitter), who says the fear is Raji will be lost for the season.

Here’s some more links derived from last night’s action involving the Packers, Bears and Lions:

Extra Points: Fairley, Wallace, Vaccaro

August 16th, 2014 at 12:50pm CST by Matt Feminis

Lions enigmatic defensive tackle Nick Fairley has quickly worked his way into new head coach Jim Caldwell’s doghouse. Fairley been demoted to the second unit, and if that was meant to be a motivational ploy, it doesn’t seem to be working. In his review of the Lions’ second preseason game, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press said Fairley “might as well have not even played. Watching Fairley intently throughout the second quarter, he rarely got any push up front and only once stumbled into a tackle.”

Here’s a handful more miscellaneous news and notes from around the league:

  • Fox Sports’ Alex Marvez took an insightful look into Mike Wallace‘s slow adjustment to joining the Dolphins. Things are looking up, though, in Year Two, according to head coach Joe Philbin: “The comfort level [Wallace] has with the entire program is miles ahead of where he was a year ago at training camp. Maybe we underestimated just the sheer adjustment of a player moving from one program to another. I think he’s more comfortable in the locker room and with the coaching staff and feels better about his relationships with the quarterbacks.”
  • Saints second-year safety Kenny Vaccaro is establishing himself as a defensive playmaker and leader by example, writes Jeff Duncan of the Times-Picayune: “[Vaccaro] might have the most swagger of any Saints defender since Darren Sharper. He’s good — and he knows it. And that’s not a bad thing. The Saints’ defense is loaded with alpha males, but Vaccaro is elbowing his way to the head of the pack.”
  • Ryan Griffin is making a legitimate run at becoming Drew Brees‘ backup, according to ESPN’s Mike Triplett. A second-year pro, Griffin went undrafted out of Tulane, but earned a spot on the practice squad before spending the final 10 games on the active roster. “Griffin, 24, continues to show a combination of poise and confidence that belies his lack of experience,” says Triplett. If the Saints are to keep just two quarterbacks, they will have to choose between Griffin’s upside and experience of 33-year-old veteran Luke McCown.
  • Rookie nose tackle Louis Nix III is one of five Texans Houston Chronicle writer John McClain will be watching tonight. Nix practiced this week for the first time since having his knee scoped before camp. “They expect him to compete for a starting job,” says McClain. “They traded into the third round to get Nix (6-2, 331), who has the ideal build for a 3-4 nose tackle who’s supposed to tie up two blockers…If Nix stays healthy and keeps his weight under control, he can be an ideal fit for Romeo Crennel’s scheme.”
  • Ravens defensive lineman Kapron Lewis-Moore, a teammate of Nix III at Notre Dame, suffered a torn Achilles tendon, had surgery yesterday and is expected to be sidelined 6-8 months, reports Aaron Wilson in the Baltimore Sun. The injury is a tough break to say the least for Kapron-Moore, who also missed last season because of a torn ACL suffered in the 2013 BCS Championship against Alabama.